Criminal Law Perspective: The Impact of Media and Technology on Crime

This essay examines the significant impact of media and technology on crime and society, noting how increased exposure to media and internet sources can affect aggression, violence, and criminal behavior. It addresses concerns about violent video games, online content, and their potential link to real-world violence, while also acknowledging the rise of cybercrime, such as online hacking. The essay highlights how media and technology provide valuable support to criminologists and theorists in understanding contemporary crime trends, enabling the development of relevant theories. Ultimately, it concludes that exposure to the growing world of media and technology has a profound influence on culture and society, making exposure to violence and aggression a definite influence for crime in the society. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: CRIMINAL LAW
Criminal Law
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1CRIMINAL LAW
Media has a great impact on society, crime and violence since its evolution with the
passage of time. Although there are conflicting views regarding the effect of media and
advanced technology on crime and criminology, yet there is a consensus among experts and
scholars that aggression, violence and criminal behaviour affected due to the excessive exposure
to media and internet sources (Bushman and Anderson 2015).
Pointing fingers towards and linking crime with internet, video games and other kinds of
exposure to media has been a regular phenomenon. For instance, the mass shooting at schools,
colleges, music concerts and public places has been blamed on the atrocious video games and
excessive exposure to the toxic and unfiltered internet resources that displays gruesome
violent activities. As laid down by Gabbiadini et al. (2016), a survey report shows that 90% of
the respondents agreed with the view that violent and aggressive video games and online videos
enhance the sense of aggression among children. Along with video games, the violent crime
based movies share the burden of disseminating criminal attributes among the youngsters (Frost
and Phillips 2011).As argued by Clarke (2004), technology has revamped everything, from
culture to crime. Online hacking is the most blatant example of cybercrime that is a growing
menace in the advancing world of technology (Moore 2014). As per the data of the Bureau of
Labour Statistics, employments related to internet security are increasing more than average for
stringent security is required to protect the vulnerable world of cyber space. The number of
hackers is growing as well, rapidly, giving challenges to the policy makers to frame better laws
to regulate cybercrimes. It has been argued by Jewkes (2015) that the involvement of media has
provided significant help and support to criminologist and theorists. This is because; through
knowledge about contemporary ways affecting crime the criminologist and theorists are provided

2CRIMINAL LAW
support to develop new theories affecting crime. For instance, strain theory had been developed
in a period where the crime was mostly a result of social or financial strain. Through the
information criminologist and theorists would be able to develop theories as to why crime takes
place in the modern society.
Therefore, it can be concluded that exposure to growing world of media and technology
impacts greatly on the culture and society. Exposure to violence and aggression is a definite
influence for crime in the society.

3CRIMINAL LAW
References:
Bushman, B.J. and Anderson, C.A., 2015. Understanding causality in the effects of media
violence. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(14), pp.1807-1821.
Clarke, R.V., 2004. Technology, criminology and crime science. European Journal on Criminal
Policy and Research, 10(1), pp.55-63.
Frost, N.A. and Phillips, N.D., 2011. Talking heads: Crime reporting on cable news. Justice
Quarterly, 28(1), pp.87-112.
Gabbiadini, A., Riva, P., Andrighetto, L., Volpato, C. and Bushman, B.J., 2016. Acting like a
tough guy: Violent-sexist video games, identification with game characters, masculine beliefs, &
empathy for female violence victims. PLoS one, 11(4), p.e0152121.
Jewkes, Y., 2015. Media and crime. Sage.
Moore, R., 2014. Cybercrime: Investigating high-technology computer crime. Routledge.